NGC 2281, also known as the Broken Heart Cluster,[6] is an
open cluster of stars in the northern
constellation of
Auriga. It was discovered by English astronomer
William Herschel on March 4, 1788, and described as a, "cluster of coarsely scattered pretty [bright] stars, pretty rich".[7] The
Trumpler class for NGC 2281 is I3p, indicating a poor (p) but compact (I) grouping with a wide range of brightness (3).[8] It is located at a distance of approximately 1,720 ly from the
Sun and is 630–661 million years old.[2]